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Pizza Twirling is Now a Protected Art Form

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Free pizza was handed out in the streets of Naples last week in celebration of the Neapolitan pizza being awarded the coveted "heritage status" by UNESCO.

The result came following a petition signed by two million people in support of the pizzaiolos' application to protect the great tradition of pizza making in the famous home of pizza.

The Art of Pizza Making

UNESCO has now officially recognised the practice of twirling the pizza dough and topping it, before the pizza is baked in a wood-fired brick oven.

Pizza making also forms part of a unique cultural and gastronomic tradition of songs, stories and gestures that connect the pizza makers and diners in Neapolitan neighbourhoods.

Hold the pineapple

There are also strict guidelines on the permitted toppings of the Neapolitan pizza - the only two pizza toppings recognised are the famous Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, oil and basil) the Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano and oil).

"I think, and I hope, that this could be the chance to make foreigners understand how pizza is made, without Nutella or pineapple," Matteo Martino, a customer at a Naples pizza restaurant, told Reuters news agency.

Maurizio Martina, Italy's minister for agriculture, food and forestry, wrote on Twitter. "Another step towards the protection of Italy's food and wine heritage."